2007 Chevrolet Tahoe Static Drop - Tahoe On The Down-Low

MC Gaughy's Has The Answer For Your High-Riding '07 Tahoe

By Chris Endres, Photography by Tami Traeger, Chris Endres

Sport Truck, July 01, 2007

Chevrolet unveiled the new '07 Tahoe early in 2006 to the general approval of media and consumers alike. While the new Tahoe is handsome enough, it is not exactly an edgy design. With a square chin and broad shoulders, it certainly exudes a muscular presence, even though the (current) top level 5.3L LS2 engine is a bit overmatched. There is plenty of help available in the engine department, but that is a project for another time. What we need to address first is that mile-high ride height.

No doubt, there is a bit of trepidation associated with dropping a brand-new truck. Our subject had less than 1,500 miles on it when the McGaughy's parts were added. One of the advantages to tackling this early on is the ease with which things come apart. No torches, air chisels, or explosives were necessary for disassembly, and shouted expletives were kept to a minimum.

By now, most readers know that lowering a vehicle isn't that difficult. A quality kit such as this is not cheap, and when you add in the additional shop labor required for the installation, it can put the price tag out of reach. The upside is that McGaughy's tells us its lowering kits are designed so they can be installed by the average guy in his garage. We wanted to see if the average guy could accomplish this in a weekend, armed with only basic handtools, a floor jack, and a set of jackstands. It turns out that this is completely doable. No hoist, no specialty tools-hell, not even an air compressor was present for this gig.

The enhanced handling imparted by the massive decrease in body roll this kit offers is a monumental improvement. Please be realistic in your expectations, though. Understand that lowering your truck will not turn it into a Corvette, but you will find that the truck is far more responsive to steering input and reacts more predictably in demanding situations. There is a marginal increase in ride firmness, but this too is welcome. Gone is the lumbering, cruise ship-like glide, replaced with a noticeably taut ride, granting the vehicle occupants actual road feel. This is not to suggest that the ride is abusive, but it is just more car-like. And that is a good thing, as it helps to undo Chevy's notion of refinement, which isolates the driver and passengers from the driving experience to furthest extent possible.

True to its word, McGaughy's kit is easily installed by the average DIYer. You can expect it to take the better part of a day, if you are a first-timer working without the benefit of air tools. Installation time will be significantly less with more experience and specialized tools. So, with that, take a look at the following installation photos and decide for yourself if your truck needs to be on the down-low.

The two-wheel-drive ride height varies little from the typical 4x4. An altitude adjustment is definitely needed.

The two-wheel-drive ride height varies little from the typical 4x4. An altitude adjustment

Tech TipBefore tearing into the project, take a minute to measure the vehicle ride height at all four wheelwells. Don't forget to write down the measurements, because they'll be useful for later comparison. Now you can get your hands dirty. Jack up the front end and support it with jackstands, then remove the wheels. Here's a look at the new coil-over-shock front suspension. Incorporating a wider track and new steering system, the Tahoe delivers a smoother, quieter ride and more responsive handling than the previous model.

Tech Tip Before tearing into the project, take a minute to measure the vehicle ride heigh

Part One: Drop The Front1. Start by removing the brake caliper. In lieu of an impact, a breaker bar will come in handy for loosening the brake caliper bolts. GM uses thread-locker on these, so they can be a bit of a bear to break loose.

Part One: Drop The Front 1. Start by removing the brake caliper. In lieu of an impact, a

2. With both caliper bolts removed, you can now pull the caliper off of the rotor. Have a milk crate or something handy to support the caliper. Never let it hang by the brake line. Now disconnect the weatherpack connector on the ABS harness, which is secured on the brake line bracket (shown).

2. With both caliper bolts removed, you can now pull the caliper off of the rotor. Have a

3. The rotors are secured to the hubs with a single machine screw. You will need a Torx T-30 driver to remove it.

3. The rotors are secured to the hubs with a single machine screw. You will need a Torx T-

4. Use an 18mm socket to loosen the upper ball joint nut, but do not remove it. Back it off 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch. Then, use a sharp blow from a mallet to pop the taper loose. Repeat these steps using a 24mm socket on the lower ball joint.

4. Use an 18mm socket to loosen the upper ball joint nut, but do not remove it. Back it of

5. You will also want to remove the tie rod end at this time. Repeat the same steps as with the ball joints, returning to an 18mm socket. Once you have knocked the tie rod loose, you can finish unthreading the nut and remove the tie rod end from the spindle.

5. You will also want to remove the tie rod end at this time. Repeat the same steps as wit

6. Before removing the spindle, it is a good idea to remove the hub. Doing this with the spindle still on the truck will give you more leverage for removing the sometimes-stubborn hub mounting bolts. With the rotor out of the way, you can begin removal of the hub from the spindle. It is secured with three 15mm bolts. With the bolts removed, the hub and brake dust shield should simply pull out of the spindle.

6. Before removing the spindle, it is a good idea to remove the hub. Doing this with the s

7. You will now be left with a bare spindle between the control arms. Now's a good time to remove the lower shock mounting bolts.

7. You will now be left with a bare spindle between the control arms. Now's a good time to

8. Finish removing the ball joint nuts. You may need to use a combination wrench in addition to a 6mm hex key to prevent the upper ball joint from spinning. The lower ball joint will require an 8mm hex key. Note the gap between the upper ball joint and the top of the spindle in this photo.

8. Finish removing the ball joint nuts. You may need to use a combination wrench in additi

9. Be sure to have a firm grip on the spindle when removing the nuts from the ball joints. You definitely do not want to drop this thing on your toe.

9. Be sure to have a firm grip on the spindle when removing the nuts from the ball joints.

10. With the spindle set aside, you can now turn your attention to the upper shock mount. The shock is secured to the chassis with three 18mm nuts on studs. These are easily accessed from the engine compartment with a deep-well socket and a long extension on a ratchet. With the shock and spring assembly free of fasteners, you can remove it. You may need a prybar or large screwdriver to get the bottom of the shock clear from the lower control arm.

10. With the spindle set aside, you can now turn your attention to the upper shock mount.

11. The spring needs to be compressed before it can be removed from the shock body. Care should be taken here to ensure that the compressors are properly seated and will not pop loose. It goes without saying that this could cause some serious bodily injury. Make the job a little easier on yourself by greasing the threaded rods of the compressor to lessen friction.

11. The spring needs to be compressed before it can be removed from the shock body. Care s

12. This 15mm nut secures the upper spring retainer and, thus, the spring. Loosen and remove this nut only after the spring has been sufficiently compressed. You'll know this is the case when you see a gap begin to form between the top coil of the spring and its corresponding rubber seat. Note the order in which the components come apart, so you know how to replace them.

13. The spring in the foreground is the McGaughy's 2-inch lowering coil.

14. Once the shock is dressed with the new spring, remove the compressor and reinstall the assembly in the truck.

14. Once the shock is dressed with the new spring, remove the compressor and reinstall the

15. Here is a comparison of the stock spindle on the left and the McGaughy's 2-inch drop spindle on the right. You can easily see that the hub mounting flange has been relocate 2 inches higher, resulting in an equal suspension drop. Take some time to mask and paint the spindles before installation to prevent corrosion.

15. Here is a comparison of the stock spindle on the left and the McGaughy's 2-inch drop s

16. The raised hub location means that the top mounting bolt would interfere with the upper ball joint. McGaughy's solves this by using an M12 stud in its place. Be sure to apply Loctite to the threads prior to torquing it to 75 lb-ft.

16. The raised hub location means that the top mounting bolt would interfere with the uppe

17. Hang the spindle on the ball joints and tighten the nuts. Also, reattach the tie rod end at this time. Note: The McGaughy's spindles require a minimum wheel diameter of 17 inches. Some wheels may require grinding of the lower ball joint to clear the inner rim. This truck has factory 20s, so it was not an issue here. After the upper ball joint is tightened, you may notice that the rubber boot does not contact the top of the spindle. This is normal with the McGaughy's piece.

17. Hang the spindle on the ball joints and tighten the nuts. Also, reattach the tie rod e

18. The brake dust shield will need to be trimmed to clear the brake caliper. A good pair of snips or a grinder will make short work of this. With the dust shield trimmed, place it and the hub on the spindle, taking car to route the ABS sensor harness through the shield as shown. It's also a good idea to coat the hub/spindle interface with waterproof grease, which will make future disassembly a little less of a headache. Use the supplied nut on the M12 stud and two factory bolts to secure the hub.

18. The brake dust shield will need to be trimmed to clear the brake caliper. A good pair

The brake harness bracket needs to be fastened using the supplied self-tapping bolt (above). With this step complete, reinstall the rotor, caliper, and wheel.

The brake harness bracket needs to be fastened using the supplied self-tapping bolt (above

1. With the rear of the truck properly raised on jackstands, remove both rear wheels. Here is a look from above at the right rear corner of the suspension. We will be focusing our attention on the coil springs, lower control arms, shocks, sway bar, and bumpstops.

1. With the rear of the truck properly raised on jackstands, remove both rear wheels. Here

2. Start by removing the shocks. Be sure you have a jack under the center of the rear end. The shock bolts will be much easier to remove if you keep a small amount of compression in the rear suspension. The shock mounting hardware requires a 21mm socket and wrench.Once the shocks are out, you can lower the rear end and pull the rear coil springs. Pay special attention to the ABS harnesses when you lower the rear. You do not want to stretch or break these harnesses by allowing the rear to drop too far! You will be placing the new springs after a few additional steps.

2. Start by removing the shocks. Be sure you have a jack under the center of the rear end.

3a. The 5-inch drop we have planned plays havoc with pinion angle and control arm geometry. Fortunately, McGaughy's thought of this and supplies two of these lower control arm (LCA) relocation brackets that correct both problems. Remove the bolt from the rear of the lower control arm and swing the arm down out of the way. You can then place the LCA relocation bracket as shown (3a). Use the supplied spacers in the rear-end mount to prevent crushing when the bolts are torqued to 75 lb-ft.

3a. The 5-inch drop we have planned plays havoc with pinion angle and control arm geometry

3b. This view is looking down at the driver-side LCA mount (3b). Notice the LCA bracket requires an additional bolt to be installed here, which prevents the bracket rotating. You can now repeat the LCA bracket installation on the other side of the truck. Leave the control arm hardware loose at this point.

3b. This view is looking down at the driver-side LCA mount (3b). Notice the LCA bracket re

4a. Next, remove both bumpstops. These are retained via a simple interference fit, so just give them firm tug and they'll pop right out (4a).

4a. Next, remove both bumpstops. These are retained via a simple interference fit, so just

4b. With a hacksaw, cut off the first ring of both stops, as shown, then reinstall (4b). This will allow a bit more suspension travel before the control arm contacts the stop.

4b. With a hacksaw, cut off the first ring of both stops, as shown, then reinstall (4b). T

5. Here is a comparison of the stock spring next to a McGaughy's 5-inch drop (inset). You can probably figure which is which. Now you can put the new springs in place, making sure both the stock upper and lower isolators are in place. With both springs standing on the rear housing, slowly raise the jack, ensuring both coils nest in their respective pockets in the chassis. Raise the jack until the springs begin to support the weight of the truck. Now you should go back and tighten the control arms to 75 lb-ft. Doing it in this manner will prevent suspension bind caused by tightening the control arms outside of their normal position.

5. Here is a comparison of the stock spring next to a McGaughy's 5-inch drop (inset). You

6. Here is a side-by-side comparison of the McGaughy's shock and the stocker. Notice the shorter length of the new shock. This will limit suspension sag if the truck is jacked up, preventing the shorter springs from toppling out. Install both shocks. You can reuse the stock hardware for this.

6. Here is a side-by-side comparison of the McGaughy's shock and the stocker. Notice the s

7. The rear sway bar needs to be moved right to clear the Panhard bar chassis mount. This is done using an offset sway bar endlink (top).Disassemble the stock sway bar endlinks and loosen, but do not remove the D-bushings. Then, hang the new offset endlink on the driver side, as shown.

7. The rear sway bar needs to be moved right to clear the Panhard bar chassis mount. This

8. The passenger-side endlink is installed on the outside of its mount with a longer bolt. A spacer is used to prevent crushing the mount when the bolt is tightened. Remove the driver-side D-bushing, slide the sway bar to the right, and install the endlink bolts, but leave them loose for now.The driver-side D-bushing must be relocated 2 inches to the right in order to clear the bar's curve. There is one existing hole, but the other must be drilled, as shown. You can now reinstall the D-bushing and torque both driver and passenger sides to 50 lb-ft.

8. The passenger-side endlink is installed on the outside of its mount with a longer bolt.

9. Now is a good time to tighten the endlink hardware. This view is looking forward at the passenger-side sway bar endlink. Notice the tight clearance between the Panhard mount, the sway bar, and the shock. Be sure the sway bar clears both items. If it interferes, readjust as necessary.

9. Now is a good time to tighten the endlink hardware. This view is looking forward at the

10. After double-checking all fasteners, put the wheels back on and put the truck on the ground. Remember to torque the lug nuts. Take the truck around the block to settle the suspension. Upon your return, you will note the substantial toe-out in the front suspension. Loosen the jam nut and shorten the tie rod end. You can use a scratch awl or a marker to mark one of the wrench flats. This makes it easy to count the number of turns you put into it. This one took nine complete revolutions to get it close. Repeat on the other side and drive it to the alignment shop!

10. After double-checking all fasteners, put the wheels back on and put the truck on the g

The Final WordA nice 4/5 drop is the payoff for all of the hard work. The Tahoe now has a nose-to-the-road stance with a bit of remaining rake. You can expect a slightly firmer ride with a very noticeable decrease in body roll when cornering. Remember to verify that all of the hardware has remained tight after 50 miles of driving, and enjoy!